Nittany Lions set to head to Madison for the NCAA Tournament

On Sunday, March 10, it was announced that Penn State will take on St. Lawrence University for the first round of the 2024 NCAA tournament.

The game will take place at LaBahn Arena in Madison, Wis. on Thursday, Marc. 8 with the winner taking on Wisconsin two days later.

For Penn State, history is not in their favor with a 1-7-1 record all-time against St. Lawrence. The good news is that the one win came last season so some of the players have already beaten St. Lawrence.

This will be Penn State's second straight appearance in the NCAA tournament and will also be the program's second-ever appearance.

This game seems to be a tough test for both sides but mainly Penn State as St. Lawrence comes in with a 27-10-0 record while Penn State has a 22-12-3 record.

For the Saints, Abby Hustler will be the biggest X-factor with 24 goals and 31 assists for 55 points.

The other key factor for the Saints will be goaltender Emma-Sofie Nordström. Nordström has a 24-10-0 record this season with a save percentage of .924.

If Penn State wants to win, two key players must step up. Tessa Janecke, who was pointless in the CHA championship game, will need to spark this Penn State team. With 17 goals and 36 assists for 53 points, Janecke leads the team in all offensive categories.

The other key factor is Katie DeSa who stepped into the crease mid-season after Josie Bothun went down for the year. DeSa has been lights out and seems to be playing at her best right now. DeSa has a 9-2-2 record this year with four shutouts. DeSa’s stats also feature an impressive .931 save percentage.

Penn State seems to rally around DeSa when she is in net. The defense looks a lot stronger and the offensive zone time and pressure have been phenomenal.

The Nittany Lions play a very simple but effective brand of hockey. The team grinds the opposition out in the offensive zone and barely lets them get offensive zone chances the other way.

They force the opponent to ice or dump the puck. The only problem is when the offense is not going, the team lets up little defensive lapses which cause the opposition to take advantage and score.

Penn State's key to winning this game should be trapping St. Lawrence in their zone and grinding the Saints out. The offense needs to be good on the backcheck which could cause quick turnovers.

Last year, Penn State lost in overtime in round one of the NCAA tournament. The team knows what it is like to be here and they know what they need to do to win and perform.

Matt Becker is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mcb6250@psu.edu.